In early 2000 northeastern Madagascar was hard hit by a series of cyclones and tropical storms. As a result of Cyclone Eline and Tropical Storm Gloria in February and Cyclone Hudah in April, more than 100 people were killed, large numbers of people lost their homes, and much agricultural land was destroyed. Tens of thousands moved to the capital, Antananarivo, to join others living on the streets in abject poverty. The storms were also blamed for intensifying a long-running cholera epidemic that had killed more than 1,000. Then in September the south of the island was severely affected by drought, and thousands more died.

The country’s total debt, which had tripled during the past two decades, rose to more than $4 billion in 2000. More than twice as much was spent on debt servicing as on national health and education combined, and more than one-third of the money received in grants was paid back in debt service. The infant mortality rate remained among the highest in the world, and investment in infrastructure was so low that during the rainy season many parts of the country were accessible only by air. Madagascar was supposed to benefit from the international initiatives to relieve the debt burden on Heavily Indebted Poor Countries, but there was little significant relief; in July, however, Germany announced that it was canceling DM 52 million (about $25 million) of the country’s outstanding debt.

In August the first announcement of candidacy was made for the presidential elections scheduled for 2001. In late December, Jean-Eugène Voninahitsy, the vice president of Madagascar’s national assembly, was imprisoned for defaming Pres. Didier Ratsiraka, among other charges. Voninahitsy had sharply criticized Ratsiraka for his plan to collect tolls at floating bridges that were used to replace bridges destroyed by the cyclones.

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